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At the Warsaw Zoo, in Warsaw, Poland, a baby giant anteater has been born. The male baby was born on January 18, and is the fourth baby for the zoo’s breeding pair.

Female Giant Anteaters normally give birth to a single pup, who rides on its mother’s back for several months. This offers not only free transportation for the pup, but excellent camouflage as well: the pup’s black and tan color bands line up perfectly with those of the mother, making the pup nearly invisible against mom’s shaggy coat. By the time the pup is ten months old, it is independent.

Native to much of South America, Giant Anteater are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of nature (IUCN). In the last decade, the population of wild Giant Anteaters has declined by about 30%. Zoos are doing what they can to ensure this species survival.